


I'm Way Too Good At Goodbyes

by captain_bucky_writesaswell



Series: Missing Scenes S03 [6]
Category: Queen of the South (TV)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Goodbyes, Multi, Teresa being strong, james being a nervous wreck, lotta teresa feels, pote being a good dad, some tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 19:59:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17987651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captain_bucky_writesaswell/pseuds/captain_bucky_writesaswell
Summary: Teresa says goodbye to the team before she leaves for Bolivia.Emotions ensue.{Missing scene from 310}





	I'm Way Too Good At Goodbyes

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this before christmas... and it got buried in my notes... and then i cried when i found it so here you go :)  
> (apologies)

Teresa stands in the shower, taking in the heat from the water running over her neck and down her back. It relaxes her, preparing her for what’s about to come.

She steps out and wraps a towel around her body. She gathers a couple of outfits together, one smart and one casual, not knowing which she’d be more likely be needing in Bolivia. Her invitation was unexpected, so she prepares her bag for every different scenario she can think of, making sure Pote’s plastic gun was not forgotten amongst her things.

Pote, Kelly Anne And James linger around tentatively in the kitchen, trying to keep themselves occupied. Pote took it upon himself to make Teresa a sandwich for the journey. He knows there’d be food available on her plane but decided that some home cooking would probably ease Teresa’s nerves. James was failing at keeping calm as he paced up and down the kitchen, Pote’s eyes glancing up and down from the chopping board to James.

“Would you sit down? You’re making even the tomatoes nervous” Pote gruffed towards James, bringing him to a halt by the window. He closed his eyes and tried to think of something else for just a minute, anything to take his mind away from running through all of the potential things that could go wrong in Bolivia.

After noticing the relative peacefulness of the clouds in the sky, James was brought back to Teresa, as the sound of her light footsteps graced the hallway.

Teresa walked into the kitchen with her small suitcases in tow, propping them up against the side of the kitchen isle.

She takes in a deep breath as she sees them all standing anxiously.

James had moved back against the counter, picking at each of his thumbnails with his fingers. He’s facing away from where Teresa stands in the entrance, still watching the clouds as they moved through the sky.

She looks to each of them briefly - “I should get going.” She points out with a hint of sadness in her voice.

James drops his eyes to the ground and subconsciously bites the inside of his cheek.

Pote brings himself forwards - “I’ll drive you to the airport.” He goes to take the car keys from the table but Teresa stops him before he has the chance.

“No-” she says calmly.

Pote looks to her, wide-eyed.

“James” she observes the back of his head as he turns around. She’s already watching him, waiting to meet his eyes.

James understands the silence in the look that they share. He gives a gentle nod and swallows. He moves his eyes from Teresa to Pote and back again, “I’ll be at the car”. He picks the keys up from the table as he walks past, gently brushing Teresa’s arm with his hand as he goes by.

Teresa gives a sad smile to Kelly Anne.

“Make sure they don’t get into trouble” she jokes solemnly.

“Oh come ‘ere girl” she calls forward, pulling Teresa into an overbearing hug, sniffing back her emotion as she pulls away and sighs.

“Right then, I’ll see you soon” Kelly Anne’s voice is shaky.

“See you soon” Teresa reassures her, giving a light, gentle squeeze to her arm.

Kelly Anne gives her a half hearted smile, before glancing over Guero’s medallion and then heading out to her room.

Pote waits for Kelly Anne to get out of earshot before speaking.

“Teresa-” he steps forwards.

“I will be careful,” she interrupts - “I will come home”. Teresa speaks with a confidence that inside she is unsure of, but she doesn’t let it show. Pote smiles at her boldness.

“Keep James occupied for me? I don’t want him to worry about me too much.”

He nods, “I will. That boy is hopeless without you Teresita.”

Teresa lets a smile and a small laugh grace her face. She puts her arm up and around his shoulder, pulling him into a comforting hug - “Bye Pote.”

"See you soon Teresita".

She smiled and held her hand to his cheek. As she turned away, a rumble from Pote's belly reminded him that he was forgetting something.

"Oh wait, here-" he went back around the counter and picked up the wrapped sandwich he'd made, "for your journey."

"Thank you Pote."

 

He followed her as she walks out to the car. James is standing by the trunk, waiting. He brings himself upright as he sees the pair walk out of the house. He opens the trunk in readiness as they walk towards him. James holds out his hand to take her suitcase from her, and she obliges. He places it flat in the trunk and Pote passes him the silver case with the plastic gun.

“You sure you got everything?” James turns to her.

She nods, “yeah, let’s go.”

Teresa looks to Pote one final time as James moves to open her passenger door, letting her into the vehicle before making his way around to the driver’s seat.

Pote retreats back to the front doorway, trying to hide the small tear he feels as he hears the engine start. He knows that she’ll come back to them, but he can’t help but worry about what will happen if she didn’t.

He watches over them as they drive out and away from the house. Then once they’re clear from view, he moves back into the kitchen and fixes himself an expensive shot of tequila. He was going to need it if he was going to survive the next few days.

 

The private airfield isn’t too far away. James drives for the most part with his left hand on the wheel and his right scratching at his face and beard, the tick he usually exhibits when he’s anxious. After a minute or so, Teresa is fed up of his worrying habits, it’s only making her more anxious.

She reaches up and pulls his hand away from his face, holding it in her own. He turns his head and gives her a sympathetic look. The tension in the air is so thick it could probably be cut with a knife. The short drive is in a sort of uncomfortable silence, both of them preparing words to say in their heads but neither of them actually speaking them out loud.

He keeps a hold of her hand, never letting go.

 

At the air strip, he pulls over by her small hired jet which was ready and waiting. He gets out quickly, not wanting to delay this pain for any longer than necessary. Teresa takes a moment, a deep breath, before joining him at the rear of the car.

As she came around, he was just placing her second case on the ground, then reached up to close the trunk.

She stood herself in front of him, a teary smile creeping up at the corner of her mouth.

James sighs. “Just… promise you’ll get this done, _and_ come home safe.” He pauses, hesitant that he might say _too_ much, unsure of exactly where their relationship was standing, or how much loving gestures he was allowed to do or say at this point.

Then he broke - “Come back to me.”

He spoke the words which he had intended to say earlier, with his voice cracking in two.

Teresa purses her lips, his eyes are filled with a sorrow and despair that she had only seen in them once or twice before. But this time they were like a piercing dagger in her heart. She was falling for him, and now there was the possibility that she wouldn’t make it back to him again.

She couldn’t promise she’d return, El Santo is dangerous, but she had to… for him.

“I promise”.

James’ eyelids flutter delicately at her words. He swallows down his emotion, stepping forward and taking each side of her face in the palms of his hands, gently running his thumbs along her cheekbones.

Teresa needed to kiss him again, for one last time before she left.

She stood up onto her toes and closed the inches of empty space between them, holding on to his arms like it was the last time.

Kissing him like it was the last time.

She held back a tear as he rested his forehead on hers.

 

_No, it's not going to be the last time. I am coming home._

_I am coming home to you._

 

He wanted to tell her he loved her, just in case.

Then a voice called her by her alias from the steps of the plane.

“I have to go” she pulled back, bending to pick up her suitcases by the handles, one in each hand.

“Teresa-” James begged as she stepped away and left a few paces between them.

Then she turned and looked to him.

“I know.” She nodded, _she loved him too_.

He watched her board the plane. He wanted to stay, to make sure she left and was up into the air safely, but was soon ushered away by a groundsman.

As they went their separate ways, Teresa and James both felt their hearts sinking to the ground.

They wished that they could do this together, knowing that it was a journey that Teresa had to make on her own.

**Author's Note:**

> i cried  
> RIP me


End file.
